HHPs

Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs)

pose significant risks to human health and the environment

"Highly Hazardous Pesticides means pesticides that are acknowledged to present particularly high levels of acute or chronic hazards to health or environment according to internationally accepted classification systems such as WHO or GHS or their listing in relevant binding international agreements or conventions. In addition, pesticides that appear to cause severe or irreversible harm to health or the environment under conditions of use in a country may be considered to be and treated as highly hazardous". (definition as per International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management, adopted by FAO and WHO in 2013).

A considerable proportion of the pesticides still being used in India can be considered highly hazardous, because they have a high acute toxicity, have known chronic toxic effects even at very low exposure levels, or are very persistent in the environment or in organisms.

More than a 100 pesticides

currently approved for use in India

are Highly Hazardous

The International Code of Conduct defines the term ‘hazard’ as:

“Hazard means the inherent property of a substance, agent or situation

having the potential to cause undesirable consequences

(Example, properties that can cause adverse effects or damage to health, the environment).”

List of HHPs from PAN

20 Terrible Pesticides That are Toxic to Children

Campaign to STOP Highly Hazardous Pesticides

Decades’ of experience has shown that, despite numerous “safe use” programmes, the safe use of highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) is not possible. People, farm animals, wildlife and the environment continue to suffer considerable harm from HHPs. After years of failure which have seen millions of deaths from pesticides worldwide, new policies are needed to stop pesticide poisonings and illness. A phaseout and ban of HHPs, along with new policies to support more sustainable alternatives, can make a change towards a healthy and sustainable world for all.